Use screencast videos to model and teach students how to initially enter www.clubpenguin.com , create an avatar, and apply safety rules in an online environment.
Before Lesson:
Explore www.clubpenguin.com to ensure that it meets your needs instructionally. Club Penguin is a great social network for students to learn how to interact with other children in a virtual environment. There are great activities and games that can be used to improve eye/hand coordination, social skills, and even math (counting by 5's for the coin value) and reading skills (examples given).
Here are a few additional maintenance tasks prior to conducting the lesson:
Create a screencast using Jing (great tutorial) or use this series from this wiki how to use Club Penguin.
Secondly, review your school's AUP and create a permission letter for each student. This letter should be signed and kept on file (check with school for the recommended time for storing files.).
Third, create a class list with parent email addresses (which you will need to create student accounts) and passwords and user names for each student. This will help to ensure safety.
Objective:
The students will be able to identify the necessary steps for creating an account in Club Penguin by viewing the screencast on creating an avatar.
The students will be able to identify and use safety rules when navigating a virtual environment
Lesson:
This lesson should be a series of lessons about ways young students can use the internet safely and still have fun. Here you will introduce Club Penguin.
This lesson can be done in a computer lab or using a LCD projector (in which case students can practice in Club Penguin later). Use the option that will effectively meet your students' needs.
Begin by addressing what a virtual world is and how it is very similar to a video game but with a real world feel. Brainstorm what students might do if they were a penguin or what they would do if they lived in another world. Next, briefly discuss the fun the internet can offer with parent permission.
If using a computer lab, have each screen on www.clubpenguin.com to begin. You can either have each student view the screencast individually or follow your screencast on the LCD and complete tasks on individual computer.
Screencast 1: This screencast reviews the overall layout of Club Penguin and four safety rules. I recommend additional rules based on the needs of your students and equipment setup. For example: No throwing laptops if you lose a point.
Screencast 2:This screencast reviews how to name and color your avatar. Students will need the name, password, and parent email address you developed prior to the lesson. After this lesson, you will need to wait a week for all parents to respond to the authorization. The next screen cast will introduce the environment, some help tools, and a how to find a game.
Screencast 3This is where the fun begins. This screencast takes you into club penguin to get started. I even explore the Pizza Parlor game (only for a brief time as the music can be distracting). Once the students are comfortable with this exploration and abide by the safety rules (you can monitor by entering the virtual environment since you know all the names of the avatars from your class; be mindful that this is not a private world and avatars may be in there that are not from your class), Send another letter to the parents informing them of the success and allow them to practice at home.
Assessment:
The teacher will observe students using Club Penguin to check that students have created an avatar and are using the website appropriately. By monitoring, the teacher can see which avatar/students are actively engaged in the virtual environment and following safety rules.
Idea #2
Using Podcast for Publishing in First Grade
Objective:
Students will identify story elements by listening to stories via podcasts as a literacy center.
Lesson:
The teacher will record several stories via Podbean for the students to review. These can be traditional stories like The Three Bears (be sure to use proper citations) or create and record original stories written by students. You may need a recording device (microphone) and recording program like Audacity to do the latter. You will need a graphic organizer for students to fill in about the story elements. This organizer should include characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, and main idea/theme. There are several premade organizers or you can create your own.
Assessment:
Students will complete the graphic organizer. They will be able to identify the several different story elements.
Home> Group A Workspace > Learning Activity 5-D-1
Multimedia Publishing on the Web
Lesson Plans for Elementary Teachers
Idea #1:
Club Penguinfor 2nd Graders!
Use screencast videos to model and teach students how to initially enter www.clubpenguin.com , create an avatar, and apply safety rules in an online environment.Before Lesson:
Explore www.clubpenguin.com to ensure that it meets your needs instructionally. Club Penguin is a great social network for students to learn how to interact with other children in a virtual environment. There are great activities and games that can be used to improve eye/hand coordination, social skills, and even math (counting by 5's for the coin value) and reading skills (examples given).
Here are a few additional maintenance tasks prior to conducting the lesson:
Objective:
The students will be able to identify the necessary steps for creating an account in Club Penguin by viewing the screencast on creating an avatar.
The students will be able to identify and use safety rules when navigating a virtual environment
Lesson:
This lesson should be a series of lessons about ways young students can use the internet safely and still have fun. Here you will introduce Club Penguin.
This lesson can be done in a computer lab or using a LCD projector (in which case students can practice in Club Penguin later). Use the option that will effectively meet your students' needs.
Begin by addressing what a virtual world is and how it is very similar to a video game but with a real world feel. Brainstorm what students might do if they were a penguin or what they would do if they lived in another world. Next, briefly discuss the fun the internet can offer with parent permission.
If using a computer lab, have each screen on www.clubpenguin.com to begin. You can either have each student view the screencast individually or follow your screencast on the LCD and complete tasks on individual computer.
Screencast 1: This screencast reviews the overall layout of Club Penguin and four safety rules. I recommend additional rules based on the needs of your students and equipment setup. For example: No throwing laptops if you lose a point.
Screencast 2:This screencast reviews how to name and color your avatar. Students will need the name, password, and parent email address you developed prior to the lesson. After this lesson, you will need to wait a week for all parents to respond to the authorization. The next screen cast will introduce the environment, some help tools, and a how to find a game.
Screencast 3This is where the fun begins. This screencast takes you into club penguin to get started. I even explore the Pizza Parlor game (only for a brief time as the music can be distracting). Once the students are comfortable with this exploration and abide by the safety rules (you can monitor by entering the virtual environment since you know all the names of the avatars from your class; be mindful that this is not a private world and avatars may be in there that are not from your class), Send another letter to the parents informing them of the success and allow them to practice at home.
Assessment:
The teacher will observe students using Club Penguin to check that students have created an avatar and are using the website appropriately. By monitoring, the teacher can see which avatar/students are actively engaged in the virtual environment and following safety rules.
Idea #2
Using Podcast for Publishing in First Grade
Objective:
Students will identify story elements by listening to stories via podcasts as a literacy center.
Lesson:
The teacher will record several stories via Podbean for the students to review. These can be traditional stories like The Three Bears (be sure to use proper citations) or create and record original stories written by students. You may need a recording device (microphone) and recording program like Audacity to do the latter. You will need a graphic organizer for students to fill in about the story elements. This organizer should include characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, and main idea/theme. There are several premade organizers or you can create your own.
Assessment:
Students will complete the graphic organizer. They will be able to identify the several different story elements.